System of vacuum production



Jun e 12; 1923.

Filed March 18. 1922 SUIPOZ Pennsylvania, have'inventedcertain new andPatented 'June 12, 1923;

ROBERT SUCZEK/DE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, 'AssIen'on' T0 '0.HI'WHEELER ANUF CTURING;icoivrrnny, or rninn'nnnrrim, PEN SYLVANIA, a",conPonA-f YTION or PENNSXLVANIA.

Pram eerie 'sYs'rEM or VACUUM raonucrron.

Application .filed March 18 ToaZZ whom it may concern-z Be it knownthatI, RonEnrSUozEn, a citizen oftheUnited States, residingci-nethe city andcounty of Philadelphia, State of roducin or maintainin a vacuumin aplurality of vessels, as steam condensers, V In accordance with myinvention, .a vacuum is produced or maintained in each of a plurality ofvessels,-as steam condensers,"-= vacuum pans, etc., by any suitablevacuum j producing -means, as one or more pumps, or,

oneor more ejector's, common to the vessels, and I an ejector augmenterintervening-be- 20 tween each of the vessels and :the commonvacuum-producing means, the augmenter ejector preferably, though not,ii'ecessarily,

employing as motive fluid exhaust or a other] low pressure steam orotherelastic motive fluid. v s Further inaccordance 'With myinvention'-,f the. aforesaid -vacuum-producingmeans come mon to thevessels may comprise "aplurality of vacuum-producing apparatus ofdifferent capacities .Whereby one .or, any a number of them may beemployedto accord With variations of load or 'demand.;.-, I 1 Myinvention residesin apparatus ofithe 5 character hereinafter'desoribedand claimed. For an illustration of one ofthe various forms my inventionmay take, reference is tob'e.,had' to the-accompanying drawing, whichvis an elevational view, partly in sec- 1 :tion, of a" system orapparatus embodying.

lily-invention. a

Referring to the drawing, C, C, C repree 1 sent,-figenerically, anynumber of vessels in each of which-a vacuum ,is-togbe producedormaintained. ,These, vessels may, be steam condensers ofany'ty-pe,'vacuum pans of any: 7 type, or an-ypother;vessel; ,one or moreof T them may, be of onetype andone or more oi them of another type, orother types.

[In the example of my invention tobe described, thewvesselsQ are.condensers suchrfor. example, as used' in. steam power .plants forcondensing-the stear fi om the engines or turbinesi ,v i p In theexampleillustrated, the, vessels .G

,1922., seria nosmasia; g

are surface condensers into which is" de- 1 livered the exhaust steamfrom-the turbines Thesteam passes betWeen. tliefnumerous' condensertubes '0, through, which cooling 'water is passed, as Wellunderstood inthe art, The condensate collects in the hot Well: H, from Which "it isWithdrawn the cons densateeremoval, pump pdriven by any electric: motor,-;or; as indicated, asteam turbine 22.

While-it is preferred, as indica-ted, that suitable means, as an each,condenser. befprovided with its condensate;remova1 pump, a singlecondensate pump 'may be employed with its suction com' gnected to, theseveral hot wellsjH. And: while it is preferred, as indicated, that" theseveral condensate-removal pumps gi be driven by an individual turbineorlniotor t,

it will be understood thatiasingle motor or turblne maydrive allthecondensaterremovai I pumps 9.

C, as a beneath orjbehindz the ba'file, b,- is. the

suction chamber of an-ejector augmenter E whose nozzle structure N" issupplied "with v Communicating throughf a, valve a] with any suitableregion Wltl'llIlBiLCll; condenser elastic. motive fluid, as:steamfgand"preferably ei'rhaustor. low pressuref.'fsteam-,' fromanysuitable source. 1 As i ndicatediat the left ofjthe, ligure, theexhaust steam of substantially; atmospheric pressure, or of a pressure Tseveral pounds below or] above atinospheric pressure, viss upplie dthrough the v i d, i i il e 9 ith 1 the exhaust of the turbine driving,I

the pump of the associated-condenser ,Or, asindicatedjat the "middle andrightof- 7 a the figure, the pipe dlmaybe connectedwithl a suitablestage-of. the turbine ,ilf ifqr Withdrawing-therefrom steam of suitablepressure, preferably ,of theiorder above indicated. I

- Eaclio fth e aatone:manage itemize;

ture of motive fluid and airland'suncondensable-gases; or vaporswithdraWnYfrom the condenserC into a condenserfK- of any suit 4 abletype Inthe examplez illustrated, the" condenser K, is gasurfacecondenser into the f spaces between Whose vtubes'jthe discharge passes,Through the'tubes isfpassed cool-, ing xvat er entering} for eXamp l e,'at f and 1 The condensate or. condensed inotive fluid when suitable ordesirable.-

outlet it, while the air and any uncondens'ed a gases, vapors or motivesteam is discharged whether or not the condensers K be employed. Thevalves 2 serve to isolate dlfferent parts or sections, or oneror more,

parts or sections, of the manifold pipe M generically anyvacuum-producingmeans, which may be a single vacuum pump or a pluralityoitvacuum pumps m -ser1es with each other. Or,as preferred-andindicated,- 7 the vacuum-producing means may be an ejector B or anejector E- inserieswith --another ejector E? ,-tlielatter being indicated, by way of example, as otthe type dis'rlosed in Letters Patentof-t he United States lo/ 1282,2395 rand eithe'r' E or E y I Inthiswa-ythe exhaust steam of othervwise small or slight value ina. steam orsimilar plant uis employed to: raise the pressure orboth, may be ofthatradial flow type;-

' c The suction chamber of the ejector E com- 1 municates through avalve j with-any suitable portion, asone end, of -the-manifold .?pipe M.Motive. fluid, perferably live or high pressure steam, as of fronaTOpounds-- isdelivered to -pors or igases are then raised by thevacuunrproducing aneans P to; suitable or desired ihigheripressure-byemployment of an to 150 poundamore or less,- 7 the nozzle structure ofthe ejector E through the pipe/l1controlled by the. valve -027,. Theejector E discharges to atmos' phei'e or into any otherfisuitablevesseLk-It' may discharge as indicated into a surface condenser 0, whosecooling-water may enter at 'n and leave at 0. The air or otheruncondensable gas or vapor may be discharged from the "condenser O toatmosphere or ,othersuitable region, in which case thecondenser servesas a so-called atter=- con-' denser, As indicated, however,'the air'-andother 'unc-ondensable gas or vapor fIOIIT which the motive fluidsteamdrom the ejector E has been condensed i's-delivere-d= to *thesucti'on'of the second condenser E 'whoseznozzle structure recelresmotive fluid,

5* preferably live or high pressure steam,

through the pipe q ;controlled by theyvalve pass to atmosphere or anyother desired region; In the example illustrated, however, it dischargesinto a second fsectionwot the condenser O in-which the motive steam andother condensable vapors are condensed, the condensate being drawn offat s, as for example, into the hotWelhH or'the pipe" connecting the sameto the pump p. The air i "andother ,uncondensable gasv or-vapor is then.discharged to atmosphere'orother suitable region at up In the exampleindi--' cated and described the condenser 0 By the system or apparatusdescribed, the

, the air and uncondensedvaporsin the con "densers C by several inchesof mercury absolute pressure, as. for example, one to three Prepresentsi or four inches inxthecasexwhere the vessels 0 are steamcondensers 1n which'the absolute pressure is represented by one or twoinchesof imercury, more or, less. The disupon the several vessels orcondensers C,

and whatever may be the variations between them as totheiabsolutepressures .W1thm them-the augmenterejectorst-E raise thepressure of ther exhausted air from different suctions pressures-tosubstantially the same discharge pressure; tThe vacuum-producing meansI: then raises the pressure of the air: and -.accompanying tun'condensedgases or vapors to atmospheric pressure or to other; suitable pressure;

of: the 1311' extracted at diflerent absolute upressuressktroin .thevarious:condensers or amount .ofllive or high:pressuresteam which Theover-all steam"consumption-. 'for. the vacuumprodueing. apparatus ;ascan: entirety is accordingly materially reduced.-

In. addition -tothe vacuum-producing .means-Rithere may be employedzoneor more additional. vacuumsprodu'cing -means. As indicated'at therightlogfthefigure; an addi- :tional: vacuum-producing means P isemployed, the same involving as before any suitable means, aspumps,-ejeotors, etc., and an the exampleallustratede ectors E and Ewhose nezzle structures: arensu'pp'lied with live or high pressure steamthrough the pipe 9*; The discharge of theejector E may" the pipe-acontrolled by the valve g In this 1 case, thet-z'jector'lil dischargesintothe interstage surface condenser R, the cooling Waterwandcontrolledbythe valve w, and through for which enters, for example,at sand leaves and unconden'sed gas or vaporis delivered through theconnections to the suction of "the ejector*--'E'*,' which-"dischargesinto the c. 1 1 60 called inter and after, condenser.

after surface condenser-S, thecooling water for which may enter at (l-and leave at 6 Tlre co-nclensate may be-d'rawn' ofii at-f and e ectoraugmenters E raise the pressure of" delivered toanysuitableidestination, as for example, tothehotwellH-or the pipeconnecting the same to the-pump 20.. The air and uncondensed gas orvaporis discharged at g to atmosphere or regionat other pres sure, or anyother suitable region at suitable pressure.

P .and P are of different sizes or capacities,-

whereby when one or more condensers is or are out of operation or whenthe load onthe entire system is low, the vacuum-producing means ofsmaller capacity may-be'employed alone, lVhen the load is greater thevacuum- .producing means. of greater capacity may be employed, and withstill greater loads both' maybe simultaneously employed. By clos- 1 ingeither of the valves 7', the corresponding or associatedvacuum-producing apparatus P or P 18 put out of service, leaving theother to handle the entire or any suitable part of the load.Furthermore, by suitably setting the valves 2', as by closing both,opening both, or closing either one and openlng the other, thevacuum-producing apparatus,

'or either of them, with appropriate settings of the valves j, will bebrought into any suitable combinations, the valves 2' and j effectinggreat flexibility in'mode of operation of the system, The cooling'waterfor the condensers K,

' O, R and S,'or for any one ormore of them,

may be the water or the make-up water fed to the boiler or boilers whichdeliver steam to the turbines T and t, or any of them; or the coolingwater for the aforesaid condensers may be the condensate fromone or moreof the condensers C; or it may be cooling water such as supplied to thetubes 0 of j the condensers C, or it may be a part of the cooling watersupplied to one or more of the condensers C and traversing the auxiliary4 ,condensing apparatus either before or after it traverses the tubes cof one or more of the condensers C. v

By the system described, notwithstanding the different pressureswithin'or loads upon diiferent condensers or vessels C, vacuum-producingmeans, particularly ejec tor apparatus, common'to all of them, raisesthe pressurel'of the air orother fluid to the desired pressure from apressure to which the different augmentersE raise the pressure of theair or other fluid withdrawn from the vessels or condensersC.

turbine t associated witlrthe same vessel or By the arrangementdescribed, the steam consumption for vacuum' product on is greatlyeconomized m" that the augmenters,

as'afor'esaid', employ low pressure or exhaust "steam',thereby-materially diminishing. the

' condenser C, the augmenter may be, if desired, o f such size orcapacity as to be operative to produce the desired or suitable degree ofcompression of the air or other fluid withdrawn from the vessel C'withorby the minimum amount of exhaust steam delivered r v p I by theturbine t, and'any excess steam from Preferably the vacuum-producingmeans the turbine t may be diverted, as in" the manner and by meansdescribed in prior application SenNo'. 534;,3lO,--filed February 6,1922. Eachfaugmenter ejector'E may, however, be of such size or capacityas to employ more motive steam than the minimum supplied by the, turbinet, in which case the absolute pressure in the manifold pipe M may orwill be highen I, p

The ratios of compression of' the augmenters E maybe anything suitableor desirable, as for example, somewhat-less than two to three or more,the ratio of compression of the combined ejectors E and E being thenapproximately the quotient derived by dividing 30 by the ratio ofcompression of the associated 'augmenter Such quotient or ratio--o'f"coinpression may then be divided between the ejectoi's E and E asmay be suitable or desirable, It ispreferred, however, that the ratio ofcompression of the ejector E begreater than the ratio of com-.

mssion of the ejector] E and may be, if-

desired,"as described and disclosed in my prior LettersPatent-No.'1,283,593l

It will be-understood that'whilel have shown two ejectorsE and E in"series, a single stag ejector may-be employed in lieu of them; forexample, there may be employed an ejector of the character; disclosed inmy priorLetters Patent No; 1,388,670.

For-brevity, the terms steam and air as employed-in the appended claimsinclude, 'respectively,'steam'- and other suitable elastic -mot-ivefluids, and, air "and-other uncon- -densable or uncondensed gases orvapors;

and theterm condenser, when referring ure of the fluid "disch rged by'said ejector apparatus, v I V n '2. The combination with afp'lu'ralityof condensers, of vacuum-producing apparatus,

therefor comprising an ejector augmenter for each of said-condensers,and vacuumproducing meanscommon to said condensers operating upon theflu ds discharged by said.

augmenters to further raise their pressure. The combination with aplurality of condensers, of vacuiun-producing app aratus thereforcomprising an ejector augmenter for e'ach. of said condensers, amanifold common to said augmenters into which they discharge, and meanscommon 'tosaid con- .densers and connected to said manifold for furtherdelivered to said manifold by said augmenters.

4. The combination with a plurality of condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for I each of said condensers, and e ector apparatus common tosaid augmenters for further rais ng the pressure of-t-he fluidsdischarged by said auginenters.

5. The combination. with a plurality of condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for.

neach of-said condensers, and serially conT 'vening between each ofsaidaugmenters and nected ejectors common to said augmenters for furtherraising the pressure of the fluids discharged by sa d augmenters.

6 The combination with a plurality of condenser-s, ofan ejectoraugmenter for each of .said' condensers, means for supplyingexhaust orlow pressure steam to the nozzle. structures ofsaid auginenters, and

means common to said augmenters for further raising the pressureof-thefluids discharged: by said augmenters. 7. The combination withcondensers. of an ejector augmenter for each of said condensers, meansfor supplying-exhaust or-low pressure steam to the nozzlestructures ofsaid augmenters, ejector apparatus common to said augmenters. for

further raising the pressure of the fluids discharged by saidaugmenters, and means for supplying high pressuresteam to the nozzlestructure of said ejector apparatus.

8. The combination Wlth. a plurality of condensers, of an e ectora-ugmenter for :each of said condensers, means common to saidaugmentersfor further raising the pressure of the fluids discharged bysaid augineiiters, and heat exchange. apparatus Eli/61:

- said means.

9. The combination with a condensers, of an (816C110! augmenter for eachof said condensers, means common to said auginenters for further raisingthe pres- I sure of the fluidsdischargedby said aug- 'mentcrs, andacondenser intervening between each ofsaid augmenters and said.

means. for condensing" a condensable com.- ponent of the discharge fromtheaugmenter. 10. The combination with a. plurality of condensers, of aninjector auginenter for each of them, ejector apparatus. common tolsaid. augmentei's for further raisingthe pressure of the fluidsdischarged by said augs menters, condensing-means into which saidejector apparatus discharges, and a condenser intervening between eachof. said augmenters and said ejector apparatus.

.. 11. The combination with a pluralityof condensers, of. an ejectoraugmenter for each of them, a plurality of serially related aejectorscommon .to said augmenters for further raising. the pressure of the-fi111dS raising the pressure of the fluids a plurality of.

plurality of discharged by said aug nenters a condenser interveningbetween neighboringof said e ectors, and a condenser intervening betweeneach of said augmenters and said cjectors.

12. The combination with a. plurality of condensers, of. an ejectoraugmenter for each of them, an ejector common to said augmenters forfurther raisingthe pressure ofithe fluids discharged by saidauginenters, a second ejector for further raising the pressureof thefluid discharged by said ejector, a condenser between: said ejectors, acondenser into which said second ejector discharges, and a condenserintervening between each of said.augmenters and said first namedejector.

18-.1he combination with a plurality of condensers, of. an ejectoraugmenter for condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for each ofthem, amanifold receiving the discharges from said i auginenters, a. plurality.of apparatus connected with said nanifold and each receiving andraising the-pressure of a part o-fthe fluid insaidmanifoldand means forisolating from. said manifold. at least one of said apparatus.

,. 16. .Thecombination withaplurality of condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for each of them, anianifold receiving the discharges .fromsaid augmenters a plurality .of appa- .ratus connected withsaidinanifold and each receiving and raisingthepressureof a part ofthefluid insaid imminent. and means for isolating, each. of,saidapparatus from said .manifold. 5

17. The combination witha plurality of condensers-,1 of anejectoraugmenter for each of .thein,,ajmanifold receiving, the fluidsdischarged by said-.augmenters, means. for

withdrawing.fluid from =.sa-id .manifold and further raising itspressure, and means for isolating different. parts of Usaidnnanifoldfrom, each other.

18. The combination Withfaplurality of condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for each of them, a manifold receiving the fluids dischargedby saidaaugmenters, means for isolating, different. partsofsaidj'manifold from each other, aplurality .ofapparatus each adapted toreceive a part of the fluid in said manifold for increasing itspressure,

and means for isolating at least one of said apparatus from saidmanifold.

19. The combination with a plurality of condensers, of an ejectoraugmenter for each of them, a manifold receiving the fluids dischargedby said augmenters, means for isolating different parts of said manifoldfrom each other, a plurality of apparatus each adapted to receive a partof the fluid in said manifold for increasing its pressure, and means forisolating each of said apparatus from said manifold.

20. The combination with a condenser, of

a steam-operated motor exhausting into said condenser, an ejector forproducing a vacuum in said condenser, a second condenser into which lowpressure steam from said motor is delivered, said low pressure steamtraversing the nozzle structure of said ejector before reachingsaidsecond condenser.

21. The combination with a condenser, of a turbine exhausting into saidcondenser, an ejector for producing a vacuum in said condenser, a secondcondenser, and a connection fro-m a low pressure stage of said turbineto said second condenser, the nozzle structure of said ejector includedin said connection.

22. The combination with a plurality'of condensers, of an ejector foreach of said condensers, a condenser for each of said ej ectorsreceiving the discharge therefrom, a manifold receiving the uncondensedfluid from said ejector condensers, and vacuumproducing apparatusconnected with said manifold. I

23. The combination with a plurality of condensers, of an ejector foreach of said condensers for removing elastic fluld theretors, aplurality of apparatus connected with said manifold for further raisingthe pressure of said fluid, andmeans for isolating from said manifold atleast one of said apparatus.

. 25. The combination with a condenser, of

turbine.

an ejector for producing avacuum in said condenser, a turbine, and aconnectlon from a low pressure stage of said turbine to the nozzlestructure of said ejector.

26. The combination with a condenser,'of

an ejector for producing a vacuum therein, a

turbine exhausting into said condenser, and

a connection to the nozzle structure of said e ector from a low pressurestage ofsaid 27. Thecombination with a condenser, of

apparatus for producinga vacuum therein comprising plural stage e ectorapparatus, a

turbine, means forconveylng high-pressure elastic fluid to the nozzlestructure of an ejector of said ejector apparatus,-and a connectionto'the nozzle structure of an ejector in an earlier stage of saidejector apparatus from a low pressure stage of saidturbine.

28. The combination with a condenser, of apparatus for produclng avacuum therein comprising plural stage ejector apparatus, a

turbine exhausting into said condenser, meansfor conveying high pressureelastic fluid to the nozzle structure of an ejector of i said ejectorapparatus, and a connection to the nozzle structure of an ejector anearlier stage of said ejector apparatus from a low pressure stage ofsaid turbine.

29. The combination with acondenser, of

apparatus for producing a vacuum therein comprising an ejectorand apair-of double stage e ectors, means for delivering high pressureelastic motive fluld to the nozzle structure of at least one stage ofeach pair of said double stage ejectors, a turbine, and a connectiontothe nozzle structure of said '95 first named ejector from a low.pressure stage of said turbine.

30. The combination with a condenser,.of apparatus for producing avacuum therein comprising an ejector and a pair of double stage eectors, means for delivering high pressure elastic motive'fl'uid'to thenozzle structure of at least one stage of each pair of said double stagee ectors, a turbine, a con- I nection to the nozzle structure of saidfirstnamed ejector from a low pressure stage of saidfturbine, acondenser into which said first named ejector exhausts, and connectionsfrom said last named condenser to the suc-f tion chambers of the firststage ejectors of said double stage ejec'tors. I

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 10thday of Marcln,

,- ROBERT SUCZEK.

